Meeting at the New York Public Library
by jahoney
Summary: This story is a back story rewrite of the history of how they meet. To some extent it will be alternative universe.
1. Getting Dad Out of the Loft

Meeting in the Public Library

By jahoney

I do not own anything related to the characters in Castle. ABC and its affiliates own them.

The story is set about two or three years before season one. Beckett had just made detective and Castle and just divorced Gina. Alexis if I remember right would have been about eleven or twelve. They meet in the New York City Public Library. Alexis had wanted to go there to get some books to read and Rick had wanted to go there to relax in a quiet place away from the paparazzi, media, and the facade. He just wanted to be Rick Rogers the dad of Alexis Rogers.

Getting Dad Out of the Loft

It was dark and rainy day outside with little chance for sun in the next few days. Rick Castle shook his head with disgust as he looked out the windows in his loft. The classic watching the storms daddy and daughter time were fun, but only once or twice because they seem to lose the thrill after a while. He sat back down and looked at his computer screen. There sat five completed chapters for his next Derrick Storm book. After he had given them a once over he sent them on to his bloodsucker of an ex-wife Gina who was his publisher still. That divorce taught him a very valuable lesson. Be very careful about mixing business with pleasure. As he sat there by the laptop in his office a young red head came bouncing in.

Alexis Castle was a certifiable genius. She had a memory that rivaled some of the greatest minds of the ages. She remembered facts and details, which was a great, help to her very smart, but sometimes absent-minded father. As her father watched her with amusement she grabbed a rolling chair sat down and rolled the rest of the way toward her father. As she gets right next to him she grabs his arm saying,

"Dad, dad, dad lets go to the public library because I am bored and need to get out of here. Please, please pretty please."

Rick looks at his daughter with amusement and says,

"Why should I take you to the public library. What is in it for me?" She replies,

"Well, there are lots of books and events at the library. We can avoid Grams and her acting people for a while. I also want to stop and get a shake from Remy's. They have the best shakes. So do we have a deal?" Rick Castle just looks at his daughter stunned by her deal making skills. He smiles at her and nods his head yes. His daughter yells yes and flies out of the room. Castle just shakes his head grabbing his coat he follows her out of the room.

As he walks towards the front door he calls for a town car to be brought over to the garage to them up. Alexis comes flying down the stairs with her bag and a jacket because of the cool and wet weather. She looks expectantly at her father who acts like he is not paying attention. Finally she gets fed up with his antics and steps on his foot. He yells,

"What was that for!?" She replies,

"That was for acting like you were ignoring me and making me wait to leave. Now can we go Daddy, please." Castle smiles and says,

"Sure pumpkin, lets go."

As they go down the elevator and head towards the lobby that leads to the garage they great the new door man, Cameron with a hello and a hi. Castle with a bright smile asks him how everything was going. Cameron replied with this is a nice new job and thanks Castle for helping him get it. Castle replies,

"No thanks are required. You earned the job and I always try to help out vets." Cameron smiles and tells him to enjoy the time out with his daughter because they grow up so fast. Castle replies with,

"Don't I know it. I remember when she was still little and calling me daddy all the time." Alexis getting bright red at this conversation walks over to her father and yanks him on the arm towards the entryway. Castle waves to Cameron and they leave the building and get into the town car. Juan his driver for the day asks him where he was heading. Alexis responds and says the pubic library. They pull out into the New York traffic and head towards the public library.


	2. The Car Ride

**Meeting in the Public Library**

By jahoney

I do not own anything related to the characters in Castle. ABC and its affiliates own them. The story is set about two or three years before season one. Beckett had just made detective and Castle and just divorced Gina. Alexis if I remember right would have been about eleven or twelve. They meet in the New York City Public Library. Alexis had wanted to go there to get some books to read and Rick had wanted to go there to relax in a quiet place away from the paparazzi, media, and the facade. He just wanted to be Rick Rogers the dad of Alexis Rogers. For those of us who have ever had children or have had to deal children in a car you truly never know what to expect some times.

_**The Car Ride**_

As Juan pulls out into the New York City traffic Alexis turns to her father and slaps in on the chest and goes,

"DADDDDDDDDD. Before you ask that was for embarrassing me in front of Cameron. You promised me you would not embarrass me anymore than normal. That was not normal."

Castle looks at his daughter trying to decide if he should laugh, chastise her, tease her, or do some of the three. He looks at her and starts to smirk because she looks so cute when she is upset and annoyed at him like this. Alexis see's this and huffs at him saying,

"You are not listening to me are you?"

Castle replies,

"Yeah, I am listening to you Pumpkin. I know I promised that I would try harder, but Cameron and I can bond at over how amazing our daughters are. You just keep amazing me every single day, I just wish you were not growing up so fast."

Alexis looks at her Dad and snuggles into him as they ride to the library. She turns to him and places a kiss on his check and says,

"No matter what happens and no matter where we are you will always be my daddy and I will always be your little girl."

Castle looks at his daughter and just pulls her close. As they watch the traffic and the people go by they watch the people outdoors. As they drive towards the library they start to tell stories about the people they see outdoors. They see a lady coming out of the Ritz in which Castle tells a story of how she was there to meet her boyfriend without her husband finding out. They see a homeless guy walking down the street pushing a cart and Castle tells another story about how he is an alien from **Men in Black**. Alexis see's a little girl and her mother and she tells a story about how they got chased into Starbucks by CHUD that happen to come above ground. As these stories go back and forth they keep laughing harder and harder they did notice until it was almost to late to brace themselves because Juan had slammed on the brakes. A crazy taxi driver had come out of nowhere and nearly sideswiped them. Alexis looks at her father and says,

"That was to close."

Castle agrees without saying anything because he was still kind of shaken up. He turns towards Juan to see if he was ok. Juan looks back and asks,

"Mr. Castle, Ms. Castle are you both OK?" They both reply,

"Yes, Juan we are fine. Are you OK?" Juan says,

"Yes, I am shaken a little, but I am ok otherwise. Stupid, crazy taxi drivers. They never look to see where they are going."

Castle leans back with Alexis cuddled next to him and Juan stops talking and they keep driving in peace. Juan turns on the radio and they listen to music as they drive. Alexis starts to sing quietly the words and Castle just sits there quietly listening to the beautiful voice of his only child. As she finishes singing he tells her she has a beautiful voice as they pull up to the New York Public Library. They hop out of the car and make a mad dash towards the main doors of the library hooping to not get too soaked. They laughed as they entered the library. The legs of both of their pants were both soaked. As they shake off they head into the library.


	3. Reading and Running into Kate

**Meeting in the Public Library**

By jahoney

I do not own anything related to the characters in Castle. ABC and its affiliates own them. The story is set about two or three years before season one. Beckett had just made detective and Castle and just divorced Gina. Alexis if I remember right would have been about eleven or twelve. They meet in the New York City Public Library. Alexis had wanted to go there to get some books to read and Rick had wanted to go there to relax in a quiet place away from the paparazzi, media, and the facade. He just wanted to be Rick Rogers the dad of Alexis Rogers. Unlike A lot of people I have good memories of being in a public library. I can imagine that Castle and Alexis have had their share of fun in the library.

**Reading for Research, Pleasure, and Running into Kate**

Laughing as they shake themselves off Castle looks at his daughter and just points to the coffee shop that is inside the library. Alexis nods her head and they go into the coffee shop. The barista named Susan at the place greets them by name saying,

"Hello Rick, Alexis it is good to see you both again. You both look like drowned rats. What can I get you today?" Castle replies,

"Hi Susan it is good to see that you are enjoying your retirement so well. I would like my usual latte, but I would also like a Grasshopper Smoothie and a Black coffee please." Alexis then chimes in with,

"Hey, Mrs. Anderson it is good to see you also. We look like drowned rats because it is pouring outside. The tropical storm that came from the South is mixing with the jet stream from the West. I would like my usually hot chocolate with extra marshmallows, but I would like two of them please."

As Susan and her helper Julie go about making the drinks Castle and Alexis start to dry off with towels provided by Susan laughing about how soaked they got just from the hop from the town car to the door. As they calm down Alexis tells her father that she needs to get books for research on the use of DNA during criminal cases for her science class. She needed to find World War Two books for her Western Europe History class. She then asks her father a question,

"So Dad what do you need here? I see that you brought your laptop. Are you going to write or are you going to help me with my research for once?" Castle smirks at his daughter as she gets bossy. He says,

"I figured I would help you with your research and do some writing while I was here. I finished up one of my Derek Storm edits and just go it back with more edits, but I figured I could do some research on drugs that make you tell the truth or do what you are told. I can help you with your research and finding books if you need or want me to, but lets get set up in our location first with our laptops and our drinks. Thanks for the drinks Susan."

Susan just waves in acknowledgement as she was on the phone. Alexis leads her father out to their favorite spot in the whole library. They have a corner where they can see most things, but it gives them some privacy. They set up their laptop, plug them in, and connect to the wireless in the library. Alexis tells her father she is going to look for the history books first. As she wanders off Castle turns towards his laptop and starts to look up things on truth drugs and suggestible drugs. He finds several articles and several websites he could use for research. As he bookmarked pages and saved the articles Alexis returns with a stack of books she could not see over. She sets the books down, turns, and pulls her father to his feet. She pulls him towards the next two stacks of books she found. She points towards the bigger and heavier stack of books. Castle takes one look and pouts,

"Why do I have to carry the heavier stack? What if it is too heavy for me?" Alexis just shakes her head at her father and just says,

"Go."

He pouts, groans, but carries all the books towards their table. As they get to the table Rick sets the books on the table with a mock groan and shakes his arms out with an exaggerated motion. Alexis tries hard, but she cannot hide her smirk and smile as she watches her father's antics. Even though he embarrasses her from time to time she would change nothing about her relationship with her father. Rick looks at his daughter and smiles asking her what she needed to do next. She looks at the stack of books she has and decides she is going to do some research, but before she decides to start she turns to her father and says,

"You need to start working on the next Derrick Storm edits. I know you do not want to, but you need to. That way you will leave me alone while I do some research." Castle looks at his daughter with his mouth hanging open.

"Bossy there much Pumpkin? Who left you in charge?" Alexis just glares at her father and then bats her eye lashes at him saying,

"Please."

Rick looks at his daughter and groans saying,

"No fair, you have the new puppy dog eyes that are impossible to resist." Alexis replies,

"Nope, I learned from Grams early on that I will always have you wrapped around my little finger." Castle looks at his daughter and groans,

"Grams and I are going to have a little chat about keeping family secrets. OK Alexis you have a deal. I will write while you do research."

Alexis kiss her father sweetly on the cheek and they both get to work. They gradually get immersed in their work and research that a couple hours have passed before they notice. Alexis slams her book shut surprising her dad. She looks at her father and says,

"Dad, I am going to look up some information on forensic science and the development of DNA use in criminal cases." Castle just huffs at her and she goes on her way. The first set of books she carries are on the history of forensic science and the development of DNA. As she goes through this set of books she gets several pages of notes so she feels that she can write about the history and development of DNA for her science paper. As she returns the books to their rightful places and starts to look for books on how DNA is used in police investigations her phone rings. Even though she was an extremely intelligent sixth grader and student she was still a child and this was one of those times where the child shined through. She picked up the books she picked out and tried to talk to Paige at the same time. As she was wobbling her way back to her seat she was not paying attention to where she was walking. As she turned down the main isle to walk back to her table she bumped into someone and dropped everything she was carrying. As she picks up her phone she realizes the battery was knocked out of it. She stuck it into her pocket and turned to the lady she had run into.


End file.
